Phase-Synchronized Brain Connectivity During Emotion Regulation: Attachment as a Moderator.

Abstract

Emotion regulation is essential for modulating emotional experiences. According to studies in attachment, individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance may lead to difficulties in the strategies used to regulate emotions. These dispositions may shape the neural mechanisms underlying regulation. This study examined oscillatory brain connectivity during two strategies-cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression-across delta (1-3 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (9-12 Hz), and beta (15-30 Hz) bands. We also tested whether attachment orientations modulate these connectivity patterns. Sixty adults completed an emotion regulation task while EEG was recorded. Connectivity was estimated using the debiased weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI). Linear mixed-effects models assessed the effects of condition, attachment, and their interaction on connectivity between frontal or central electrodes and the rest of the scalp. Reappraisal increased theta-band connectivity between frontal and distributed sites, while suppression enhanced beta connectivity involving frontal and central electrodes. Higher attachment anxiety was associated with reduced theta connectivity during reappraisal, and higher avoidance predicted increased beta connectivity during suppression. These findings suggest that emotion regulation strategies engage distinct oscillatory networks, modulated by interpersonal dispositions. Theta connectivity may reflect top-down control processes in reappraisal, while beta connectivity may support inhibition during suppression.